Ming East India Company

At 3:45 AM, the bronze bell tolled three times, and the cypress wood gate of the Bai Family Ancestral Hall in Baizhuang Village, Yuegang, Zhangzhou, slowly opened.

Three strong young men entered the Bai Family Ancestral Hall.

This ancestral hall was built by the Bai family ancestors when they fled to this place as refugees during the Hongwu period, marking the beginning of the Bai family's foundation in Zhangzhou. It has been nearly two hundred years since then.

Bai Wen, the current patriarch of the Bai family, was kneeling on a hard cushion in front of the ancestral hall, his hands touching the ground, his forehead lightly touching the ground, tears streaming down his face, his hunched body rising and falling with sobs.

The three younger generations behind them also knelt on the blue brick floor of the ancestral hall.

Led by Bai Wenzheng, the three of them took turns offering incense and praying in the incense burner, during which Bai Wenzheng wept uncontrollably.

"May Heaven protect us, and may our ancestors be above us. Our unworthy son, Bai Wenzheng, is weak and incompetent, and has handed over the Bai family's century-old foundation. Now it is too late to turn back the tide. Therefore, I have come here to apologize to our ancestors."

"May our ancestors have mercy on me, Bai Wenzheng, who has offered incense year after year without fail, and bless my three young nephews so that they may see the light at the end of the tunnel and rise again. I, Bai Wenzheng, am willing to bear all the hardships that my descendants will face in the future."

After burning incense and praying, Bai Wenzheng turned to the three young men in front of him and said:

"The other day I spent the whole day inquiring at the county government office, but it's too late to save the situation. No one dares to disobey the imperial decree. The only hope is your Uncle Zhang. After the Bai family's downfall, he can entrust his orphans and protect a few younger generations."

The three of you are the most promising of my children and grandchildren, whom I have carefully considered. You should set off now, go back and pack your books and belongings, and come with me to visit Uncle Zhang the day after tomorrow.

Uncle Zhang's garrison is short of soldiers. From now on, you will change your names and identities at his residence and become his servants. In your spare time, read more of the classics and Confucian classics, and one day pass the imperial examinations to redeem your ancestral property and continue your family line.

All three remained silent. Overnight, they had gone from middle-class families to low-class soldiers, and the bitterness they felt was unimaginable.

Another tear rolled down Bai Wenzheng's already swollen eyes:

"After you go to the Zhang family, you must be extremely cautious and careful in your dealings with them. Your uncle-in-law, Zhang Shoubei, is a trustworthy person, but he is nearly fifty years old, and his descendants may not necessarily treat you as human beings."

Also, never flaunt your wealth; carry more copper coins and less silver to avoid attracting thieves…

The three of them wept uncontrollably and nodded repeatedly.

After a long silence, Bai Wenzheng waved his hand, and the three bowed and left.

After the three left, Bai Wen slumped in a bamboo chair: "Alas! Of the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants are ultimately the lowest. My Bai family has struggled and schemed for three generations, but all the glory and wealth will vanish in an instant..."

Just as they stepped out of the ancestral hall, Bai Wenzheng's eldest daughter, Bai Ling, rushed in hurriedly:

"Father, what's wrong with you? Ever since you came back from the county office a few days ago, you've had a gloomy face. Today, you even went so far as to give your final instructions in the ancestral hall. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

Bai Wenzheng shook his head and took out the official gazette from his person:

"Two years ago, in the spring, the Japanese invaded Korea. Last month, the imperial court ordered troops to aid Korea. Zhangzhou Prefecture issued a notice that from this day forward, all ships sailing from Yuegang are prohibited from trading with Japan. Anyone who privately goes to Japan to trade silk will be treated as a traitor."

Bai Ling's face turned pale immediately upon hearing this, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Then why not let the Portuguese who trade silk with Macau resell it to Japan? Or give the ship owners a raise, they'll definitely do it. If all else fails, find private ships to transport the goods discreetly. Do you think the tax collectors can let the Dragon King come and inspect the ships?"

"Silly child," Bai Wenzheng couldn't help but interrupt Bai Ling.

"Our Bai family runs a legitimate maritime business, and the people we've befriended over the years are all legitimate ship owners with valid licenses. Who among them would violate the imperial edict at this critical juncture? Even if they choose to wait and see, they would do so for a month or two."

As for private ships, they usually have their own owners. Who would accept cargo of dubious origin if you suddenly need to add more goods? If it delays us by even a month or two, and we miss the trend for the year, the entire Bai family will be finished.

At this moment, Bai Ling finally realized the seriousness of the situation, and her legs went weak, causing her to collapse to the ground.

The Bai family was a prominent merchant family in the Zhangzhou area. Their business involved purchasing raw silk from rural areas and then reselling it to wealthy merchants traveling north and south, who then distributed it throughout the country and even overseas.

This business may seem like just running errands, but there are actually many intricacies involved.

Because of the developed sericulture industry in the Jiangnan region during the Ming Dynasty, professional mulberry farmers emerged who only grew mulberry trees and not rice.

Although mulberry farmers enjoy high profits, the price of silk fluctuates greatly. If there is any change in the market, mulberry farmers may lose everything or even their families if they stop producing grain.

Therefore, in order to ensure that silk farmers can focus on silk production, an agreement must be signed a year in advance, stipulating that buyers will purchase raw silk at the agreed price regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad, and this agreement must not be violated.

In this process, silk farmers would usually find local gentry or landlords to act as guarantors and share a portion of the profits with the guarantors. In case the silk buyers defaulted, they could also use the power of these "big shots" to pursue the debt.

The Bai family was in this business, specifically targeting silk merchants who could produce large quantities of raw silk, and signing official contracts with official stamps.

This not only ensured a stable supply of goods, but also prevented clerks and officials from extorting or taking bribes from the landlords, as they couldn't afford to delay any lord's business.

Since Yuegang opened more than 20 years ago, Bai Wenzheng seized the opportunity to start a business selling raw silk to Japan and made a fortune.

However, the problem with doing business this way is that the cash flow is fragile. If the money cannot be recovered in time, the contracts with suppliers in various places can crush the Bai family.

These contracts were signed with prominent gentry and nobles in various regions, and they wouldn't let the Bai family off the hook if they couldn't pay on time.

Unfortunately, ships traveling from the Ming Dynasty to Japan in the East were not always able to depart. They typically set sail for the East during the summer months of June to August, taking advantage of the southwest monsoon, and returned during the winter months of September to October, taking advantage of the northeast monsoon. Even a slight delay could mean a year's journey.

Bai Ling had been doing business with Bai Wenzheng for many years, so she knew the stakes involved and realized that her family was now on the verge of life and death.

"Is there really no other way now?"

"No, I've asked all the ship owners. If they had even the slightest chance of survival, they wouldn't have acted like this today."

Bai Wenzheng was utterly despondent. He looked up at Bai Ling and sighed:

"Tomorrow, pack your things. Before summer, I plan to marry you off to the Xu family in the north of the city. The Xu family is quite wealthy, so bring a generous dowry. I'll put in a good word for you. You're a girl; you shouldn't have to bear the burden of your family's downfall. Hurry up and run for your life!"

Bai Ling finally couldn't hold back her tears and cried out:

"Father, I don't want to leave you and my second brother behind..."

"Alas! Of the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants are ultimately the lowest of the low. My Bai family has struggled and schemed for three generations, but all the glory and wealth will vanish in an instant..."

Bai Wenzheng is painfully reflecting on his life.

Suddenly, a voice pulled him back from his meditation.

"Father, I've found a way to save our family from disaster. Ryukyu, we can go to Ryukyu."